Council Scuttles Manager Idea

Petition Drive Still A Possibility

May 10, 2008|By DON STACOM; Courant Staff Writer

BRISTOL — - City leaders argued heatedly Friday evening before scuttling a proposal to hire a professional manager for city hall, but they left open the possibility that voters could mount a large-scale petition drive to revive the idea.

The proposal was shot down by a 5-2 vote of the city council, with opponents insisting that Bristol government doesn't need more management and that taxpayers can't afford it.

Proponents have said for nearly a year that the city is suffering because its mayor-council form of government is outdated and doesn't provide sufficient oversight of city workers or steady continuity of leadership.

Most of the discussions since last summer focused on the political ramifications and budget costs to create a job for a senior manager who would run day-to-day operations at city hall. But Friday evening's debate edged into personal arguments, with former mayor and current council member Frank Nicastro bitterly condemning any suggestion that mayors don't provide adequate supervision and leadership.

"The last four mayors didn't know how to control department heads? That's garbage," Nicastro thundered into the microphone at city hall.

He referred to a chief operating officer's job as a "cuckoo" and said it wouldn't help the city. And creating it during this economic downturn would be an extra burden on taxpayers, warned Nicastro, who also serves in the General Assembly.

"This [downturn] is going to get worse. Open your eyes, people, it's going to be terrible at the state and even worse for the municipalities," he said.

Council member Ken Cockayne, a chief supporter of the new job, disagreed sharply.

"Anyone who's talked to Frank Nicastro knows he was mayor for 10 years. But times have changed. Some people are living in the past," Cockayne said.

After a sharp exchange between Nicastro and Cockayne that ran for about a minute, other council members interjected. When Kevin McCauley suggested that all opinions should be respected "and let's leave it at that," Cockayne fired back, "If I have something to say, I'm going to say it."

Cockayne and council member Craig Minor noted that if about 3,100 registered voters sign a petition, the chief operating officer idea will be put on the November ballot. Despite voting against the recommendation from the charter revision panel, Mayor Art Ward, council member Michael Rimcoski and Nicastro all said they'd sign the petition to give voters a choice. McCauley said he wouldn't sign the petition because he believes the proposal is just a bad idea, and Clifford Block said he wouldn't sign - but would help circulate petitions to give voters a choice to get the change on the ballot.